Gaining Her Trust
by momoxtoshiro
Summary: After a petty accident, Gilbert finally snaps, sending a blameless Alice running from the house in distress. Oz feels obliged to follow her, and tries to offer a little comfort...
1. A Rabbit's Trust

**My second fic for Pandora Hearts! I still think this fandom needs more people, cause its amazing. I'm here to help out the OzxAlice pairing, mainly in the fluff department :3 Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pandora Hearts ):**

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Gaining Her Trust

Chapter 1. A Rabbit's Trust

"Damn it! Baka usagi!" Gilbert Nightray's enraged voice bellowed throughout the house.

Said B-Rabbit-girl had rushed into the kitchen, intending to ask Oz, her Contractor, a question about a sort of food she had seen in town prior that day. The Chain had, in her hasty curiosity, stumbled a bit in the doorway and had tried to lean against the wall for support, yet she had misjudged where it was she stood and had accidentally bumped into a small table that stood against the wall. Thus, she had unintentionally knocked down a small vase that had fallen to the hard, cruel ground and shattered.

Oz had rushed to her side, pushing her away from the broken glass and asking if she were alright. But before Alice had the chance to reply to him, or even attempt to apologize for her actions, Gil had stomped across the room to stand before her and shouted so loudly his hat fell had been uptight and short-tempered lately, and even the slightest little things had annoyed him to no end. Obviously, this had been the final straw.

Alice's face fell, her curious expression shattering like the vase on the floor. She was taken aback by Gilbert's fierce words and wanted to step up to him and shout back and tell him he was being an idiot, yet something inside of her held her back. Perhaps it was some human emotion that still lingered within her that sent the foreboding sensation up her spine.

For the first time she could recall, she was speechless, perhaps because she was fed up and did not want to bother talking to the Nightray, or she was simply at a loss for words.

Seeing her taken aback face, Oz stepped in front of her and spread his arms out, as though trying to defend her from his servant's harsh words.

"Gil, stop it! It was an accident. There's no need to-" He cut off as Gil stepped forward and shouldered his master away, directing all his anger at the Chain. Gil's hands were in fists at his side, his teeth gritted, his gold eyes hard as stone.

Despite the feeling in her gut, Alice decided to speak up.

"Oi, Seaweed Head, it was an accident!" She defended herself in a huff. "I didn't _mean _to-"

"Shut up! Just shut up!" Gilbert's deep growl made her cut off in a small gasp. Oz was frozen with horror and panic as he watched his best friend step up to his Chain. He did not miss the flash of fear in Alice's eyes for a brief second, but he could tell that she was suppressing it and put on a scowl.

She seemed about to say more, but before she could, Gil raised his hand and gripped her shirt collar tightly, slightly lifting her feet off the ground.

She suddenly lost her composure, her eyes widening as though she had snapped. Her hands flew up and she grasped his arm with curling fingers that dug into his sleeve like claws. Her cobalt irises were wild, almost resembling those of a trapped animal.

"Let go of me!" she snarled furiously.

"Gilbert!" Oz cried out, rushing forward and grabbing the black-haired man's arm. Oz shoved Gil away, the servant seeming to only just realize exactly what he had been doing. Gil blinked as though he had not been himself the past few seconds, then took a step back and released the girl.

Alice clawed his arm off of her and unsteadily found her feet back on solid ground once more. She was panting wildly, as if she had been being held down underwater. She then whipped around and dashed away down the hallway, kicking up small shards of broken glass that flew up and cut her ankles, but kept running despite the small pains.

Oz listened as the door slammed and her footsteps vanished, before turning back to face Gil. His friend gazed up at the blonde boy, frightened that he was mad at him.

"Oz-"

"It's okay Gil, I'll go find her. You just cool off a bit okay?" His forgiving attitude was sometimes too good to be true and he smiled before turning around and sprinting for the door to follow the girl's lead.

Gilbert was left to blink after him in silence, shaking his head in disgust at himself as he began to pick up the shattered pieces of the vase that had cause all of this, some parts spattered with B-Rabbit's blood.

_What the Hell's wrong with me?_ He thought guiltily.

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Oz raced after the girl, knowing how elusive she could be when she wanted to and he did not want to lose her trail.

He saw tiny drops of scarlet staining the grass here and there, but he mainly followed the instincts inside of him that connected Contractor to Chain.

In this way, he eventually came to a grassy hill a ways away from Gil's residence. He spotted several hares, their ears pricked and noses twitching as they faced the direction he believed Alice to be in. They darted away as he ran past until he finally came to a halt.

She was sitting atop the small hill, her knees pulled in to her chest, arms folded over her knees, burying her face.

Oz wondered whether it was better to leave her alone for the moment and was about to turn around until a thought stopped him. _No. She's been alone long enough._ He turned back in her direction and stepped lightly and slowly across the grass until he stood a few feet away from her.

"Alice." He said softly. She did not stir, and he continued. "Please don't be mad at Gil. He's really an idiot sometimes." He laughed but soon stopped in seeing it was doing no he let out a small sigh and sat down behind her, pressing his back against hers.

He was silent for a moment, waiting patiently for her to speak up if she so desired to. If she felt like talking, he would listen. If she just wanted to take a breath and relax, he would accompany her, just so she would not have to be lonely again. He stared at the blue Springtime sky, watched the jumpy hares as they bounded through the swaying grasses, the faint thudding of Alice's heartbeat resonating through him. Finally, he felt her stir and lift her head.

"Oz…I don't know what came over me…" she murmured.

"Eh? What do you mean?" he asked, tilting his head back a bit.

"I just…panicked when he grabbed me like that. I felt like…like I was trapped in a snare or something."Oz moved away from her and then slid up to sit beside her as she went on. "It was like…" here, she raised one hand to her throat. "Like he'd found my weak spot or something." She rasped.

Oz was silent for a moment, looking her over and realizing once more just how humanlike she was. Yet this side of her showed off her more vulnerable, rabbit-like part.

"I can understand why, you especially, would feel that way." He agreed. He caught her eye and then flicked his gaze toward two hares that sat and watched them with round, cautious black eyes from afar. "You're just like them." Oz went on. _She's fragile. It _is _her weak spot. _But he was not going to tell her she was as fragile as a rabbit.

Instead he reached a hand towards the one that was at her collarbones. "The neck's a sensitive spot, especially for someone like you, and Gil was too rough. You only panicked because your instincts told you too."She blinked at him, a bit puzzled at first. But then her cobalt irises hardened as his hand reached for her neck, her eyes filling with defensive mistrust. But Oz sent her a reassuring smile and swore to her with his deep emerald gaze not to hurt her. She blinked at him once more, until her eyes showed him that she would allow the contact.

She flinched as his fingers rested on the skin on the base of her neck, and she almost pulled away until she realized that the contact was not harsh and murderous. Instead, it was gentle, caring, warm. Oz traced his fingertips lightly up to her chin before removing his hand. He smiled sweetly at her; she was too defensive and distant, but perhaps this was the first step to gaining her trust. Alice swallowed a bit shakily, a light blush covering her cheeks.

"See? I won't ever hurt you Alice. You can trust me, I _promise_." He told her sincerely, clasping her hands in his. Even after all this time she was still trying to be distant from everyone, including him, but Oz was still determined to break past her barrier. He would stop at nothing to earn her trust. "Can you trust me?" he asked, searching for her eyes.

She raised her gaze to lock with his, the mischief of the good old Alice he had come to know and love sparking back to life in her irises.

"We'll see." She replied with a tiny smirk. Oz smiled back. _Well at least she didn't say no._

Just then, Oz remembered something.

"Ah! Alice! Your ankles!" he leaned forward to examine her bleeding skin.

"Oh that's nothing. I'm fine." She said passively with a shurg.

"Nonsense." He reached into his pocket, drawing out a small handkerchief. "It would be bad if it got infected." Carefully, he patted and wiped away the drops of blood on her pale skin, being as gentle as possible. Alice stayed perfectly still as he cleaned her wounds, as though frozen stiff to have someone else touching her so casually. Oz soon sat back, satisfied and folded the cloth up, sliding it back into his pocket. "There." He grinned. Alice blinked at him once more.

A chilly breeze drifted by just then, and the girl leaned closer to him.

"Hey. You're my manservant. Keep me warm." She mumbled, trying to make it sound like an order. But Oz knew better; he knew it was her way of trying to accept his trust and give him her own.

"Right." He placed an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him, letting her head rest on his shoulder.

After a moment or two, her stiff shoulders slowly relaxed as she got used to his touch and his warmth. She too was very warm and Oz shifted ever so slightly closer to her.

Within seconds, she was asleep at his side and he rested his chin atop her head.

The day had quickly turned from bad to wonderful, and he thought he had been very successful in Gaining Her Trust.

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**A/N: Sorry for making Gil the villain! D: **

**Hope it was alright. More fluff next chapter!!**

**Please review!!**


	2. A Rabbit's Melody

**You should know by now that I love writing fluff, so if that's not what you came for, you might as well just click the back button now! For the rest of you, please enjoy!!**

**Disclaimer: If I didn't own Pandora Hearts last chapter, what makes you think I own it _now_? Cause I don't.**

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Chapter 2. A Rabbit's Melody

A breeze glided over the grassy field, blowing Oz's bangs into his face and tickling his eyelids.

He wearily blinked his eyes open as his jaws parted in a massive yawn. He waited a moment for his blurry vision to clear and focus, realizing that he must have fallen asleep shortly after Alice had. He slowly lifted his chin from her head, not wanting to wake her, as her unmoving form indicated that she was still deep in slumber. Oz could only turn his head and stretch out his legs a bit, considering his Chain had rested her head on his shoulder and curled her body up against his. He felt stiff from having fallen asleep while still sitting up, but he did not have the heart to wake her.

Briefly, he pondered when it was when she had last had a peaceful night's sleep. His left arm was still resting across her shoulders while his right supported his weight to keep them both from falling. A small smile crossed his lips when he glanced down at her tranquil expression and ran his fingers through her hair, the fading light of the sun highlighting her features against her pale skin and darkened the shade of her tresses.

Oz let his gaze shift back to the fields beside the hill they sat upon, witnessing a group of hares as they retreated into the long wavy grass for the night. _I wonder how Gil's getting along…he's probably gotten over it by now._

His thoughts were interrupted when he felt Alice shift at his side and the slight pressure on his shoulder vanished as she raised her head groggily.

"Did you sleep well, Alice? Was it warm enough?" he asked with a small sparkle in his emerald eyes. The girl blinked up at him past her bangs and then flicked her gaze away before replying.

"Yeah." she answered simply.

Oz let his arm slip from her shoulders as she straightened up her posture and stretched her arms above her head with a yawn. As she did so, Oz caught a flash of movement from the corner of his eye and turned his head to see one of the hares approaching him cautiously from his other side.

"Oi, Oz, what are you-?" Alice peeked over his shoulder curiously.

"Shh." The blonde boy murmured to her softly, slowly reaching out his hand towards the animal. Her own curiosity must have gotten the better of her, for Alice obeyed and watched in silence as the hare neared Oz's fingers. She held her breath as it sniffed his fingertips, afraid that it would turn tail and dash off. But the small brown creature stayed put, even as Oz reached forward to scratch under its chin, then between its ears. In her surprise and slight astonishment, Alice let out the breath she had been holding just a tad too loudly and the hare quickly vanished into the undergrowth.

Oz let out a small sound of disappointment as he turned back to his partner.

"S…Sorry." Her cobalt eyes lowered to the ground in shame and her gloved fingers loosely covered her lips. Seeing her crestfallen expression, Oz quickly lightened the mood with an amused chuckle.

"Hey, it's okay." He patted her shoulder reassuringly. "You didn't mean to scare it away. I was actually surprised at how anxious you were!" he grinned.

"W-Well I've never seen one so close before." She mumbled, as though ashamed to admit it.

"Wow. Really?" he tilted his head to the side as she nodded once. "Hm. Well next time we get the chance I'll-" he stopped mid-sentence as he felt something brush against his arm and he slowly turned his head to see the hare again, rubbing its head against his sleeve. "Hey, it came back!" Oz whispered as Alice peered around him to get a better view. Oz petted its head again and let it sniff his fingers, and in the meantime he whispered over his shoulder, "Alice, give me your hand."

His Chain hesitated at first, but then slowly extended her arm. With his free hand, Oz tugged the white glove off of her hand, revealing the alabaster skin underneath. He then pulled her arm gently across his chest and moved back a bit so she could lean over him. She looked at Oz uncertainly, as though doubting that the animal would touch her but he nodded encouragingly.

So she extended her hand to the creature, and Oz had to hold back a small laugh as he saw how seriously she was taking this situation. Her body was stiff as though frozen, her eyes determined yet full of wonder and she held her breath in once more.

Oz moved his hand away, and Alice's took its place at the hare's nose. The girl flinched as the wet nose and short whiskers made contact with her fingertips, as though she feared it to draw massive amounts of blood from her. Oz watched with an amused expression as the brown hare rubbed its chin on her fingers and Alice gasped lightly and almost pulled back herself, but managed to stay still. She then let out her breath, quietly this time, and her tense body relaxed as the creature allowed her to scratch its fur. Oz's smile widened as he saw the elated look on her face and the sparkle in her eyes.

It had been a long while, Alice realized, since she could remember touching something so warm without her gloves to get in the way. The fur tickled her bare skin and caused an unknown smile to pass across her lips.

"Alice," Oz whispered into her ear. "Try petting its head, between the ears." He suggested.

The boy watched as her hand moved slowly and she patted the hare above the eyes. The girl's cobalt eyes were full of content.

"Wow." She breathed, bewildered.

After another moment of silent wonder, the hare gave her finger a quick lick before sprinting off into the distance. Alice and Oz held their positions for a few seconds, as though they did not want to believe it was already over.

Oz heard her sigh as she finally withdrew her hand and returned to her prior spot and the boy sat up again. The girl ran her gloved hand over her bare one, as though relishing the feeling of touching another living being for the first time in such a long while.

Oz's eyes softened, a bit thankful that she was finally letting her guard down and showing her softer, more compassionate side after always putting on her stiff and tough façade. She seemed dazzled at the fact that she had actually made contact with the animal, the small smile still lingering on her face.

Oz reached over and placed his hand on top of her exposed one. She looked up at him with a childish excitement in her eyes as his gaze locked with hers.

"Did you have fun, Alice?" he asked cheerfully.

"I can't believe I actually touched it…" she exhaled as though she had just broken out of a trance. Oz could feel the gentle flittering of her pulse in her wrist as he placed her glove back into her palm.

"See? Rabbits like when you pet them on the head." He grinned. "Like _this_!" Suddenly, he reached forward and ruffled her hair, laughing all the while.

"O-Oi! Cut it out you stupid manservant!" She cried, trying to wriggle away from him. She tried to knock his hands away but it backfired as Oz lost his balance and fell fully onto the ground, taking the baffled girl with him.

He laughed, and she blushed as he patted her head some more, ceasing her efforts to fight back as she realized that it actually felt…nice, somehow.

She lay still on her side as Oz's laughter faded and his motions became slower, gentler.

Alice began to feel sleepy and was about to slip into unconsciousness when she spoke up softly. "Oz?"

"What is it?" he asked, glancing down at her.

"Can you play it? I want to hear it." She whispered.

"Hear what?"

"Lacie." She answered coyly.

Oz hesitated a moment before smiling.

"Sure thing." He replied, reaching one hand into his pocket to retrieve the watch and keeping the other atop her head. He placed the watch on the small strip of ground that separated them and opened it with a tiny 'click'.

The nostalgic melody began to play, making Oz feel tired and at ease. The tune sent some unnamed emotion through Alice's body, something that calmed her breathing and slowed her heartbeat. She closed her eyes and barely noticed as Oz removed her other glove. She felt him pull her hands closer to him and he covered hers with his own, sending a warm feeling through her.

Alice's heart sank as she then felt the warmth of one of his hands vanish, but it was only for an instant as he pushed the watch to the ground above their heads. His hand returned to hers and she let the small smile grace her lips again.

Then Oz too closed his eyes and diminished the space between himself and her, until she was pressed up against his chest, her hands curled in his.

He rested his chin atop her head once again, and gently squeezed her bare hands, as though sending all of his affection to her silently.

Her breath slowed and deepened and his mind went blank, and within moments, the two friends lay together in peaceful slumber in the grass with the fading rays of the sunlight gently caressing their backs as the familiar melody continued to play…

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**A/N: Let me know what you thought! (for the record I wrote this at 2am so it might be a bit OOC, sorry).**

**Please review!!**


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